Highway guard



July 21, 1936. ER 2,047,992

HI GHWAY GUARD Filed April 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l E. R. BERK HIGHWAYGUARD July 21, 1936.

Filed April 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i zzz tubular spring 3. (SeeFigures 5, 6, and 7.)

Patented July 21, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,047,992 HIGHWAY GUARD,

Elmore R. Berk, Canton, Ohio, assignor to Republic Steel Corporation,Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Application April 22,1935, Serial No. 17,583

9 Claims.

This invention relates to highway guards and particularly to new andimproved means for supporting the guard rail and resisting forces towhich the rail is subjected in -use.

My invention will be understood by reference to the drawings ofembodiments of my invention which accompany and form a part of thisspecification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a highway guard embodying myinvention.

Figure 2 is afragmentary elevational view of the highway guard shown inFigure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed plan view partly in section taken onthe line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevational view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken on the line 5- -5of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Figures 8 and 9 are plan and perspective views respectively, of amodified form of post spring connection.

Figures 10 and 11 are plan and elevational views respectively of amodified form of end construction.

With reference to the drawings Figures 1 and 2 thereof-illustrate apreferred embodiment of my invention which includes a plurality ofsupporting posts I and'end posts la positioned along a highway, and ametal rail member 2 extending past the posts I on the highway sidethereof.

Each of the posts I is provided with a tubular spring member 3 and acurved rail supporting spring member 4, both of which are secured to theposts by bolt 5. The spring 4 extends from its post end through a slot 6in the tubular spring 3. Its free end is secured to the rail 2 with anintervening spacer block 'las by means of a plurality of bolts 8. Thespring 4 thus normally supports the'rail out of contact with the Therail 2 may consist of a plurality of sections secured together in end toend relation.

Figures 1, 3 and 4 illustrate means for applying longitudinal tension tothe rail member. This means consists of an anchor which may take theform of a bolt 9 secured to the end post la having a stop ill thereon, aspring housing ll having a spring abutment l2, and a spring l3 mountedwithin the spring housing ll between the stop It] and the springabutment l2. An

nally as well as transversely of the rail.

adjusting nut I4 is threaded on the end of the anchor ID for varying thecompression of the spring I3.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate a modified form of post spring connectionincluding a tubular spring 5 I 5, and a curved spring member l6 securedat its midportion to the posts I, surrounding the tubular spring l5 andspaced therefrom, and normally supporting the rail 2 out of contact withthe tubular spring. The ends of the spring l6 1 are secured to the rail2 as at I611. and I 61). A supplemental spring I! may be positionedwithin the spring l5, if desired. The springs l5, l6 and I1 are securedto the post by means of bolt l8.

When light loads are applied to the rail at an 15 angle either betweenthe posts or at one of the posts, the rail supporting springs and theend tensioning springs cooperate to resist and absorb such loads. Whenthe loads are in excess of the load resisting ability of the railsupporting springs, the rail moves laterally and contacts with thetubular springs; Thereupon, the tubular springs as well as all thesprings cooperate to resist and absorb such heavy loads appliedlongitudi- For example in the post spring construction illustrated inFigures 5, 6, and 7 the slot 6 permits the rail to move longitudinallyto a limited extent under light loads applied to the rail. When underexcessive loads the rail tends to move beyond said limited extent, thespacer blocks 1 engage the vertical side of the slots 6, and thereuponthe tubular springs 3 also resist further longitudinal movement of therail. Similarly, light loads applied transversely of the rail move therail toward the posts, This movement is resisted by the springs 4 untilthe rail contacts with springs 3 when that spring also resists furthermovement of the rail. In the modified post spring constructionillustrated in Figures 8 and 9 when light loads are appliedlongitudinally as well as laterally of the rail the rail supportingsprings l6 permit the rail to move longitudinally as well as laterallyto a limited extent and such light loads are resisted and absorbed bythe springs l6 and the end springs l3. When loads are applied to therail which are greater than the load resisting ability of the springs l6these springs yield and the rail comes into contact with the tubularsprings l5. The tubular springs I5 5 resist and. absorb the heavy loads.In this way the end and rail supporting springs cooperate to resist andabsorb the light loads while all the springs cooperate to resist andabsorb heavy loads.

Where the rail is subject to changes in temperature resulting invariations in the length of the rail due to expansion or contraction ofthe rail, the rail supporting springs and the end Figures 10 and 11illustrate a modified form of end construction for applying longitudinaltension to the rail.

This construction comprises front and rear plates I 9 and 20,respectively, which are secured together and to the extremities of therail. Longitudinally extending, substantially semi-tubular portions 2|and 22 are formed in the plates I9 and 20 respectively, so that when theplates are assembled these portions form spring housings 23 which areprovided with spring abutments 24. Anchor means which may take the formof bolts 25 extend into the housings 23 and are provided with stops 26.A spring 21 is mounted within each of the housings 23 between the springabutment 24 and the stop 26. A nut 28 is threaded on the end of each ofthe bolts 25 for varying the compression of the springs 21 on the rail2. The portion 22 of the rear plate 20 is preferably cut away as at 29to provide access to the adjusting nuts 28.

Having thus described my invention so that those skilled in the art maybe able to practice the same what I desire to secure by Letters Patentis defined in what is claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A highway guard including a plurality of posts, a metal railextending past a plurality of said posts, tubular springs at the posts,and other springs at the posts extending beyond the tubular springs andpositioning the rail normally out of contact with the tubular springs.

2. A highway guard including a plurality ofposts, a rail extending pasta plurality of said posts, tubular springs at the posts other springs atthe posts supporting the rail normally out of contact with the tubularsprings; the said other springs being resistant to light loads andyieldable under heavy loads applied lengthwise and.

transversely of the rail, the tubular springs being resistant to heavyloads applied lengthwise and transversely of the rail and transmitted tothem springs being resistant to light loads and yield- -posts, a railextending past a plurality of said able under heavy loads appliedlengthwise and able under heavy loads applied lengthwise andtransversely of the rail, the several springs at any post cooperating toresist heavy loads applied lengthwise as well as transversely of therail.

4. A highway guard including a plurality of 5 posts, a rail extendingpast a plurality of said posts, tubular springs at the posts, othersprings at the posts supporting the rail normally out of contact withthe tubular springs, a rail tensioning spring anchored at the ends ofsaid rail and resistant to light loads applied lengthwise of the rail,the several springs cooperating 'to resist heavy loads appliedlengthwise as well as transversely of the rail.

5. A highway guard including a plurality of 15 posts, a rail memberextending past a plurality, of said posts, anchor means at the ends ofthe rail resistant to light loads applied lengthwise of the rail,tubular spring members mounted on the highway side of said posts, andother spring 20 members normally supporting the rail out of contact withthe tubular springs, the said other springs being resistant to lightloads and yieldable under heavy loads.

6 A highway guard including a plurality of 25 posts, a rail memberextending past a plurality of said posts, rail supporting spring membersmounted on said posts, and tubular spring members mounted on the postsbetween the rail and the posts and being normally out of contact withthe rail and provided with openings through which said first mentionedspring members extend.

7. A highway gua'rd including a plurality of posts, a rail memberextending past a plurality of said posts, rail supporting spring membersmounted on said posts, and tubular spring members mounted on the postsbetween the rail and the posts and within the rail supporting springsand being normally out of contact with the rail.

8. A highway guard including a plurality of posts, a rail memberextending past a plurality of said posts, rail supporting spring membersmounted on said posts, tubular spring members mounted on the postsbetween the rail and the posts and within the rail supporting springsand being normally out of contact with the rail, and supplementalsprings positioned within said tubular springs.

9. A highwayguard including a plurality of posts, tubular springs at theposts, other springs at the posts supporting the rail normally out ofcontact with the tubular springs, the said other springs beingresistantto light loads and yield- ELMORE R. BERK.

